General Tips for Working with the Media

Media outreach is about building a relationship with a journalist. Fostering this relationship takes time and some effort on your part. They are providing you with an invaluable, free service. Here are some suggestions for a furtive ASLA member journalist relationship.

Consider lead times: Each media outlet will likely have its own preference for how far in advance it would like to receive information for a potential story. For example, most monthly magazines prefer to receive materials for consideration 3 to 5 months in advance, newsletters often require receipt of information 4 to 6 weeks before printing, and daily newspapers may only need 1 week to develop and run a story.

Know the reporter: Reporters typically have a “beat” or topic they cover. Make sure that your pitch is tailored to each reporter you pitch and his or her respective beat.

Return calls or e-mails promptly: If a reporter or editor shows interest in your pitch by calling you back or responding to your e-mail, aim to follow-up with them as quickly as possible, particularly if they have an impending deadline. Demonstrating your responsiveness builds your credibility and positions you as a reliable source, making reporters more likely to consider you as an expert source for future articles.

Be sensitive to deadlines: Reporters usually work under tight deadlines and often need information quickly. For example, it’s ideal to begin your outreach to newspaper reporters early in the morning between 8 a.m. and 11 a.m.

TIME LINE:

One week before the event/announcement

Send a media advisory to local television stations and newspapers via e-mail. (Do not fax!)

Start calling reporters once the media advisory has gone out.

Day before the event/announcement

Resend the media advisory and continue to follow-up with reporters.

Check in with reporters who expressed interest for onsite interviews or having a camera crew attend.

Pre-Event

Distribute press release announcing the event to all media outlets. Bring copies to have on hand at the event and to provide to any attending reporters.

Continue to make follow-up calls the morning of your event.

Follow-up with television stations again to determine if any will be sending camera crews.

At the Event

Have all members of the media sign in with their contact information for tracking and follow-up purposes.

Introduce yourself to all media who attend the event. Provide them with your contact information.

Following the event

Follow-up with journalist who attended your event to make sure they received all of the information they need to complete their story.